"Star Wars"—as the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) is dubbed—will require reliable sources of immense amounts of energy to power such advanced weapons as lasers and particle beams. Are such power sources available? This study says no, not yet—and points the way toward the kind of energy research and development that is needed to power SDI.
Advanced Power Sources for Space Missions presents a comprehensive and objective view of SDI's unprecedented power requirements and the opportunities we have to meet them in a cost-effective manner.
- Advanced Power Sources for Space Missions
- Copyright
- Preface
- Contents
- Executive Summary
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Space Power Requirements and Selection Criteria
- OVERVIEW OF SPACE-BASED POWER REQUIREMENTS
- SDI Power Requirements for Housekeeping, Alert, and Burst Modes
- Requirements of Military Missions Other than SDI
- Requirements of Civil Missions
- Commonality of Requirements Among Civil and Military Missions
- APPROACHES TOWARD SELECTING SPACE POWER TECHNOLOGIES TO MEET SDI REQUIREMENTS
- Critical Issue Areas
- System Considerations
- Qualification of Power-Conditioning Subsystems and Components
- Influence of SDI Survivability and Vulnerability Criteria
- Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendation
- 3 Space Power System Options and Selection Constraints
- SUMMARY OF AVAILABLE SPACE POWER SYSTEM OPTIONS
- Nonnuclear Power for Orbital Use
- Photovoltaic Space Power Systems
- Solar-Dynamic Power
- Chemical Space Power Systems
- Magnetohydrodynamic Space Power Systems
- Nuclear Power for Use in Space
- Nuclear Safety, Environmental, and Regulatory Considerations
- Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators
- Dynamic Isotope Power Sources
- SP-100 Space Nuclear Reactor System
- Smaller Nuclear Space Reactor Systems
- Multimegawatt Nuclear Space Reactor System Designs
- Other Advanced Nuclear Systems
- Finding, Conclusion, and Recommendation
- Ground-Based Power Beamed to Orbit
- Finding and Recommendation
- Co-Orbiting Power Sources
- ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS INFLUENCING THE SELECTION OF SPACE POWER SYSTEMS
- The Natural Space Environment
- Orbital Environmental Impacts
- Conclusion and Recommendation
- 4 Needed Technological Advances in Space Power Subsystems to Meet SDI Requirements
- IMPLICATIONS OF SDI SPACE POWER ARCHITECTURE SYSTEM STUDIES FOR ADVANCES NEEDED IN POWER SUBSYSTEMS
- ADVANCES NEEDED IN HIGH-TEMPERATURE STRUCTURAL MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY
- ADVANCES NEEDED IN POWER-CONDITIONING AND PULSE-GENERATING TECHNOLOGIES
- Superconducting Materials
- Component Technology
- FINDINGS, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATION
- 5 Approaches Toward Achieving Advances in Critical Power Technologies
- ADVANCING THERMAL-MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGIES
- Heat-Rejection Considerations
- Survivability Considerations
- ADVANCING POWER-CONDITIONING COMPONENTS AND TECHNOLOGIES
- Advancing the Design of Conductors
- Normal Conductors
- Superconductors
- Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage
- ADVANCEMENT POTENTIAL OF TECHNOLOGY FOR DYNAMIC POWER-CONVERSION CYCLES
- Advancement Potential for Alternator Technology
- Advancing the State of the Art in Power System Components
- MATERIALS ADVANCES REQUIRED FOR THE EVOLVING SPACE POWER TECHNOLOGIES
- Magnetic Materials
- Insulators
- High-Temperature Structural Materials
- CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
- 6 Commentaries on the SDI Power Program
- COMMENTARY ON SDI SPACECRAFT SYSTEM NEEDS AND THEIR IMPACTS ON THE SPACE POWER SYSTEM
- COMMENTARY ON SDI PROGRAM ISSUES
- REVIEW OF THE SDI SPACE POWER PROGRAM
- COMMENTARY ON THE SDI SPACE POWER INVESTMENT STRATEGY
- FINDING, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
- References
- Appendix A Glossary of Abbreviations
- Appendix B Biographical Sketches
- COMMITTEE MEMBERS
- ENERGY ENGINEERING BOARD LIAISON
- TECHNICAL ADVISOR
- STUDY DIRECTOR
- Appendix C Study Chronology (Meetings, Briefings, and Site Visits)
- MEETING, APRIL 21–22, 1987, WASHINGTON, D.C., NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
- MEETING, JUNE 25–26, 1987, NASA LEWIS RESEARCH CENTER, CLEVELAND, OHIO
- MEETING, JULY 20–21, 1987, ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO
- MEETING, AUGUST 25–26, 1987, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
- MEETING, OCTOBER 19–20, 1987, NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, WASHINGTON, D.C.
- MEETING, NOVEMBER 17–18, 1987, NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES WASHINGTON, D.C.
- MEETING, JANUARY 21–22, 1988, NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, WASHINGTON, D.C.
- Appendix D Possible Impacts of Effluents from SDI Systems
- SPACE SHUTTLE EXPERIENCE RELEVANT TO POSSIBLE IMPACTS OF EFFLUENTS PROJECTED FOR SDI SYSTEMS
- ESTIMATION OF THE IMPACT OF EFFLUENT ON PROPAGATION OF A NEUTRAL-PARTICLE BEAM
- Appendix E Compilation of Study Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendations
- FINDINGS
- CONCLUSIONS
- RECOMMENDATIONS
- Index
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